Gayoom unveils PPM; Confident winning at the 2013 vote

(Asiantribune.com): Maldives former President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom yesterday unveiled his new party, the Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM) and sounded confident of its victory at the 2013 presidential election.

The name of the party was announced at a news conference held at the DhiTV, Gayoom’s daughter Dunya Maumoon told the Asian Tribune.

Despite his confidence of PPM winning the 2013, Gayoom however stopped short of saying if he intended running for president again, when asked by reporters repeatedly.

He simply said: “The candidate will be elected in a democratic manner through a free and fair primary.”

Gayoom’s half brother Abdulla Yamin meanwhile has told media that he intended running for PPM primaries and would give his fullest support to whoever the candidate is elected.

The ex-president also explained the choice of words for the party name saying the very word “progressive” meant that they wanted to bring about development on all fronts.

The party’s aim was to “strengthen Islam in the country and maintain Islam as a religion that we all love and respect, to fully protect our independence and sovereignty, to establish a strong democratic system in the Maldives, ensure happiness and prosperity to the people, to reform the country to make it a place where people would want to live,” he told reporters.

In January 2010 Gayoom announced plans to quit active politics while stepping down from the leadership of the opposition Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party that he founded in 2005.

Yesterday when was questioned if the formation of the new party meant a contradiction in his earlier stand to leave politics Gayoom said he remained “honorary leader” of the DRP up until Monday and “how can one say that he was not in active politics.”

Extending an open invitation Gayoom called upon everyone including the educated youth to join his party.